A little retail therapy can make hours spent waiting at an airport fly by. Airport Revenue News has nominated 15 airports with top notch retail programs, offering travelers a wide range of shopping options on either side of security. For the last four weeks, 10Best readers have been voting for their favorites, and the results are in!
The top 10 winners in the category Best Airport for Shopping are as follows:
Photo courtesy of San Francisco International Airport
No. 10: - San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- There's a little bit of everything on offer inside San Francisco International Airport – organic cosmetics at 100% Pure, sports apparel at Bay Area Club House, gourmet food and gifts at California Lifestyle and local candy at Embarcadero Treats to name a few.
Photo courtesy of Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
No. 9: - Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
- The concessions program at DTW has recently taken a giant-leap forward delivering stores such as Porsche Design/Hugo Boss, Johnston & Murphy and the first-of-its-kind Beauty Boutique by Estee Lauder. DTW has replaced gift-news concepts with “travel stores,” creating the ultimate customer convenience by blending in coffee concepts such as DTW’s award winning, Wall Street Journal/Starbuck’s.
Photo courtesy of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
No. 8: - Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Like its food, there is certainly a variety of retail options for travelers at DFW. The shopping begins in Terminal D with a Brookstone, iStore, Hugo Boss and Swarovki among the notable tenants. But there are other choices depending on the needs of the traveler – everything from high-end to Dallas-focused souvenirs.
Photo courtesy of Rudi Riet / Flickr
No. 7: - Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI)
- Baltimore/Washington International Airport has some 50 stores spread throughout, selling everything from toys to high fashion items. Shoppers can pick up sweet gifts at Charm City Candy, electronics at InMotion, menswear at Johnston & Murphy, hot sauces at the Pepper Palace or lingerie at Victoria's Secret.
Photo courtesy of Miami International AIrport
No. 6: - Miami International Airport (MIA)
- There are plenty of duty free options, especially in the North Terminal of Miami International. One of the highlights is the Shoppes at Ocean Drive in the same terminal. The airport has also developed a marketplace to showcase local vendors and products.
Photo courtesy of Tourism Toronto
No. 5: - Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
- Whether travelers are looking to relax, pick up a gift for a loved one or invest in a new travel gadget, the retail program at Toronto Pearson International has it covered. Highlights include :10 Minute Manicure, Burberry, Gucci, iStore, MAC Cosmetics, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and The Body Shop.
Photo courtesy of Orlando International Airport
No. 4: - Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- Orlando International Airport satisfies the shopping needs of many tourists with Disney and Universal stores pre-security. The airport features a very diverse lineup of retailers, including Harley Davidson, Sunglass Hut, Oakley, Lush and others.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / Famartin
No. 3: - Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
- Salt Lake City International Airport shines with its local shopping offerings, like Utah!, Visit Salt Lake, Utah Market and No Boundaries. Other popular brands include Brookstone, Kiehl's, Rock Mountain Chocolate Factory and the Wall Street Journal.
Photo courtesy of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
No. 2: - Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
- Phoenix's status as a shopping mecca translates into its airport, with options like Bunky Boutique, Indigenous, Johnston & Murphy, Cactus Candy, TripAdvisor and Earth Spirit. A concessions update will bring 16 new shops to Terminal 4, including Lucky Break, Sonora Southwest Living and Brookstone.
Photo courtesy of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
No. 1: - Hartsfield—Jackson Atlanta Intl. Airport (ATL)
- The Atlanta airport has a great selection of retail options in the concessions program – more than 120 locations offering everything from clothes to cosmetics. The opening of the international terminal in 2012 paved the way for many new store concepts, including MAC Cosmetics, Spanx, Tommy Hilfiger, Coach, Michael Kors and Mont Blanc.
Airport Revenue News (ARN) worked with industry experts to vet and nominate 15 finalists in this category, and USA TODAY 10Best readers had four weeks to vote daily for their favorites.
10Best and USA TODAY extend their congratulations to all the winning airports.